This invention relates generally to robots and manipulators and more particularly has reference to a counter-balanced arm assembly for a robot or manipulator.
In the design of robots and manipulators, it is necessary to provide an input motion for each corresponding output motion of the robot or manipulator. The input motions are generally provided by motor actuators and drive systems mounted on the arm assembly of the robot or manipulator. These components add mass to the arm assembly and tend to produce work and gravitational unbalance in the arm. A portion of the power supplied to the drive systems is lost in overcoming these effects.
It is thus desirable to provide means for balancing the arm assembly. Known attempts at counter-balancing have proved unsatisfactory in many respects.